Manitoba is deploying conservation officers to patrol its southern border as part of a coordinated effort to ramp up security along the boundary it shares with the United States.
Conservation officers stationed in Virden, Boissevain, Manitou, Winnipeg, Steinbach, and Sprague will now conduct border patrol as part of their duties, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference at the Emerson border crossing this week.
Manitoba’s efforts to bolster security come as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slap punitive tariffs on Canadian goods if the country doesn’t stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs across the border into America. Trump has said he may implement the 25 percent tax on Feb. 1.
Kinew said the plan to increase eyes on its southern border is partly in response to Trump’s tariff threats but is also about increasing safety for residents of the province.
“President Trump has changed the world, and we all have to respond, and this is one of the ways that we’re responding,” he said.
“But let’s be clear, when we’re talking about securing the border and when we’re talking about cracking down on drug trafficking, what’s the downside? These are things that Manitobans want to see happen.”
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The initiative involves the deployment of 11 officers who will supplement the current efforts by Manitoba RCMP to beef up border security, Kinew said. The RCMP began patrols in the region last week using two new Black Hawk helicopters, which are specifically intended to combat illegal entry into Canada, as well as drug and arms trafficking.
Conservation officers have been tasked with conducting patrols between ports of entry, focusing on secondary roads and backcountry areas using snowmobiles, utility terrain vehicles, and helicopters, the province said in a Jan. 27 release.
Chief conservation officer Corey Meadows said his officers will work with the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, and other enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal activities.
“Our conservation officers stand ready to apply our enforcement skills, deploy our patrol equipment and use our knowledge … to stop the proliferation of smuggling in firearms, drugs and people across our shared border with the U.S.,” Meadows said. “Manitoba conservation officers are expertly trained and skilled peace officers who have authority to enforce a variety of acts and regulations in the interests of public safety and resource protection.”
The initiative also aims to increase humanitarian efforts, Kinew said, adding that crossing the Mantioba border can be a “life and death” situation in the winter months.
He referenced the deaths of a family of four from India who attempted to cross into the United States at the Emerson border in January of 2022. The bodies of the parents and their two young children were discovered a short distance from the border after they succumbed to exposure.
Kinew said the increased patrols can prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
“We know that there are crossings happening. Just recently, we saw people crossing from the U.S. into Canada who were not prepared for a Manitoba winter,” Kinew said.
The province is allocating $360,000 for added conservation officer staffing, $460,000 for an increased RCMP presence, $400,000 for equipment like snowmobiles and helicopters, and $200,000 for transportation enforcement officers.
Provincial Border Measures
Manitoba is among several provinces attempting to increase security of its border following Trump’s tariff threat.
Ontario launched Operation Deterrence at the beginning of the month to bolster security of its shared borders with several U.S. states.
An emergency response team of 200 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers along with frontline and speciality officers have been tasked with patrolling the border in partnership with the RCMP as part of the initiative.
Premier Doug Ford said the goal of the operation is to “crack down on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs.”
Alberta has also increased efforts on border security. Premier Danielle Smith announced $29 million in funding last month for the creation of an Interdiction Patrol Team to tackle drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal migration across its border with Montana.
The unit includes more than 50 uniformed officers, 10 support staff, four drug-sniffing dogs, 10 cold-weather surveillance drones, and four narcotics analyzers to detect illegal substances.
